6 Ways to Increase the Customer Experience at Trade Shows

Are you tired of attending the same old trade shows? Is your booth looking a bit worn out? Are you having problems justifying trade shows as a tactic on your marketing plan due to the high cost of attending? Well, here are a few ways to help you interact, improve engagement, and increase your ROI at trade shows.

1. Build quality booth traffiic with pre-show communication. Don’t just send out emails to announce to your customers that you will be attending a show. Start the conversation and engage your audience with specialized messaging, setting appointments with key customers, and continuing branding and product messaging from product campaigns.
2. Use mobile technology. Apps are becoming more and more popular at trade shows. In fact some trade show organizers offer sponsorships of their trade show app. However, you can also develop your own educational app to streamline communications between your company and prospects or customers. Try a survey or polling your customers, as well.
3. Interactive Touch Screen Kiosks. You are probably already playing videos in your booth and most likely have no lookers. Why not pick it up a notch by using interactive touch screens to engage your booth visitors. Keep the touch screen simple and to the point. Don’t crowd the touch screen with all of your product offerings. Customize it to the audience at each trade show. Keep it simple yet informative.
4. Integrate your trade show strategy with social media. Create a hashtag specifically for the event so you can engage and interact with your visitors. Have your customers post a picture of your booth, a product, or some other interesting item on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Create a contest for best picture submitted.
5. Use inbound marketing strategies. Promote your attendance at the show on your blog and on your website. Create a specialized landing page that communicates all of the activities you plan during the show such as presentations, posters, press conferences, or other company events.
6. Games. Develop a game to draw visitors to your booth but provide an educational flair to them that is relevant to your products or services.